The Death of the Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy Was No Accident: Will the "People's General" Avenge Gudkov?
Author:
Oleg Belikov
Russian forces suffered a major loss — Rear Admiral Mikhail Gudkov, a Hero of Russia and Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy, was killed in Kursk Oblast. The marines are mourning this "People's Colonel." The governor of the Primorsky Krai first announced the sad news, but did not reveal details, and then the Ministry of Defense issued a brief obituary. In this situation, people can only speculate about the specific circumstances of his death. Colonel Andrey Pynchuk expressed his opinion. There is a rumor about a "fatal phone call" in Vladivostok. Meanwhile, on the Internet, people remembered the convicted former commander Ivan Popov; the Ministry of Defense refused his request to go to the special military operation area, citing "no suitable vacancies."
In late March, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally announced the promotion of Mikhail Gudkov, the commander of the 155th Marine Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, to the rank of Major General. When appointing him as the Deputy Commander of the Navy, the President pointed out that both the Minister of Defense Belousov and the Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov believed that Gudkov's experience needed to be spread to other units.
The scene of President Vladimir Putin meeting with the crew of the nuclear submarine "Arkhangelsk". Mikhail Gudkov is in the front row.
"Let all units reach the level of readiness and combat effectiveness that you achieved with the 155th Marine Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet," the President gave Gudkov his task.
It was precisely the soldiers of the 155th Brigade who presented a flag signed by them and with their blessings to Putin, which the President unfolded and showed to the world during a recent live broadcast. It was also they, together with the soldiers of the 810th Marine Infantry Brigade, who became the main striking force in the Kursk battle.
The flag signed by the soldiers of the 155th Marine Infantry Brigade, which was presented to President Putin.
"The fact that his brigade was named 'Kursk' is no coincidence. Everyone in Kursk really appreciates him. He is indeed the general, the colonel, who made a great contribution, and every resident of Kursk has given him the appropriate evaluation. This is beyond doubt," said military volunteer Roman Alenin.
A special forces officer operating in the special military operation zone and a source from the "Novorossiya" news agency noted that for the first time since the start of the special military operation, an officer who had experienced the front line was appointed to a leadership position:
"Gudkov knew all the problems in our army inside out. He understood the reality from the trenches, not from the headquarters."
But no one expected that the time that the Hero of Russia Mikhail Gudkov spent in his new position would be so short.
Now it has become known that Gudkov was killed in the Kursk region while he was with his marines. His comrade-in-arms, Officer Narmen Khaliyev, also died with him. The governor of the Primorsky Krai, Oleg Kozhemyako, was the first to announce this sad news.
GIF animation source: Ministry of Defense Telegram channel
"He was a strong-willed soldier, and he did not associate himself with any place other than the fleet. After becoming the Deputy Commander of the Navy, he still personally went to the positions of our marines. Along with the commander, his loyal comrade, also our common friend Narmen Khaliyev, died with him. They were real marines, real officers. Soldiers are immortal!" Kozhemyako wrote in his Telegram channel.
"The story of how General Gudkov died"
Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the news of Gudkov's death on July 2nd. Colonel Andrei Pynchuk, a political commentator from "Tsargrad," expressed his own views on the possible circumstances of the general's death.
"The Ukrainian commanders have repeatedly claimed that the 155th Brigade is their mortal enemy. Therefore, in this case, it is undoubtedly a targeted strike. But as usual, the key lies in the technical means of execution," Pynchuk confidently said.
Image source: Ministry of Defense Telegram channel
This expert pointed out that in order to carry out such a strike, the enemy must conduct prior reconnaissance, target guidance, that is, so-called aiming, re-reconnaissance and target indication. He also emphasized that Gudkov was killed in Kursk Oblast, that is, on the liberated territory, not during direct combat operations.
"This means that we are actually facing a specific special operation against high-ranking command personnel by the enemy. This is exactly what we lack in dealing with the enemy. The situation is very painful. In a way, this indicates that the protection level of command personnel is still insufficient. Unfortunately, the necessary lessons have not been learned. You see, this is not a random attack. Gudkov was an outstanding person, and his death is a huge loss," the political commentator from "First Russia" pointed out.
Incidentally, shortly after, "Argumenty i Fakty - Primorsky Krai" cited sources that almost confirmed Pynchuk's statement, reporting that on Tuesday evening, the field headquarters of the marines was attacked by several rockets.
"According to unofficial information, the location of the marine infantry headquarters was exposed by the enemy's radio reconnaissance. July 2nd was the anniversary of the founding of Vladivostok. It is assumed that the soldiers may have called by phone to congratulate the city on its anniversary," the journalists reported.
Will the "People's Colonel" be avenged by the "People's General"?
Amid the sad news coming from the front, people on the Internet recalled the "People's General" Ivan Popov. In early May, the court sentenced him to five years in prison and fined him 800,000 rubles for fraud and abuse of office. The former commander of the 58th Army did not admit guilt at the time and still does not. He firmly believes that his case is due to personal grudges. This "Spartan" general stated that he was too critical and blunt in communication with his superiors, exposing the "main tragedy" of modern warfare. Before the verdict was announced, Popov had requested the Russian president to send him to the special military operation. He was willing to go there as a regular soldier, even joining the assault troops. However, later his lawyer said that the Ministry of Defense claimed there were no vacancies matching Popov's level, so they rejected his request. On July 25th, the court will consider his appeal. Perhaps it's time for the "People's General" to avenge the "People's Colonel"?
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7523050546786271785/
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